Sanding head for trimming machine



Nov. 12, 1957 sc 2,812,625

SANDING HEAD FOR TRIMMING MACHINE Q Filed Oct. 29; 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 up as 11 zyulllllallzullza L l lLLLZ i I L Z L :lmimugmw $.27. I INVENTOR.

V JOSEPH D..SCAL.A

ATTORNEY Nov. 12, 1957 J. D.. SCALA 2,8

SANDING HEAD FOR TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIIIIIIIIIIII'IAIIIII I I l6 24 Mm 4 INVENTOR ATTOMZT United States Patent SANDING HEAD FOR TRIMMING MACHINE Joseph D. Scala, Stroudsburg, Pa.

Application October 29,1956, Serial No. 618,939

6 Claims. (CI. 51-490) The present invention relates to a mount for an abrasive sleeve, a butfing sleeve, or similar surface-conditioning sleeve element, which mount will be attachable to a revolving shaft of atrimming machine such as is used in shoe repair shops and like establishments. The invention, while particularly adapted for mounting abrasive sleeves used for trimming the edgesof shoe soles has general adaptability in buffing, sanding, and other surface-conditioning operations.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved means adapted for radially expanding a cylindrical support on which the abrasive or bufiing sleeve is engaged, so that said sleeve will be tensioned uniformly over its full circumference, to provide a slightly resilient but firm conditioning surface to which the work may be applied, thus to improve the quality of the work while at the same time facilitating the sanding or bufiing operations performed thereon.

Another object is to provide, in a device of the character stated, means for permitting the swift removal of an abrasive or bufling sleeve after the same. has been worn to such a degree as to prevent its. further useful employment in the surface-conditioning operations, thus to permit the ready replacement of a worn sleeve with a new one.

Another object is to provide a mount for sanding or buffing sleeves, that will be designed to facilitate the holding of the work in. a proper position relative to the abrasive or bufiing surface.

Another object of importance is to form a device of the character described that will be capable of manufacture at low cost, and will permit its incorporation in a trimming machine already in use, with a minimum of modification or redesign of said machine.

Still another object, in. one forrn of the invention, is to provide improved, novelly shaped, spreading elements for a radially expandablesleeve of rubber or like material which elements will be formed in. a manner such that friction between said elements anda shaft along whichthey are. slidable will. be held to a minimum, while at the same time assuring, the uniform expansion of the rubber sleeve over its full length. and through its entire circumference. t

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will. be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying: drawings forming a material part of this disclosurez.

Fig. 1 is. a side elevational view of an abrasive sleeve mount according to the present invention, a shaft on which the same is mounted being illustrated fragmentarily, a shoe applied to the sleeve being. shown fragmentarily and in section. I

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device on line 2.-2 of Fig. .1. l p

Fig. 3 is a view likeFig. 2 in which the abrasive sleeve and a radially expandable support sleeve therefor have been adjusted in a manner to permit radial contraction of the support sleeve and loosening of the abrasive sleeve.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the device as seen from the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view therethrough on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view therethrough on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction, the rubber sleeve and abrasive sleeve being radially expanded.

Fig. 8 is a View like Fig. 7 in which the sleeves have been loosened for contraction of the rubber sleeve.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section on line 99 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the spreader elements.

. Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are transverse sectional views, still further enlarged, on lines 1111, 1212, and 1313 respectively of Fig. 10.

Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the form of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, designated at It) is a shaft, extending from a trimming machine, not shown. The shaft is rotated in any suitable manner, and at any desired speed found most suitable for the particular operation to be performed.

At its end, the shaft 10 has a conieally tapered portion 12, and opening upon the smaller end of the tapered portion and extending axially thereof is a threaded recess 14 in the shaft, having left-hand threads in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

A tubular abutment member 16 is sleeved on the shaft 10, and at one end has a collar 18 located at the base of the tapered portion 12. At its other end, tubular member 16 has an externally threaded end portion 25 which tapers in a direction away from the collar-provided end of the tubular member as best shown in Fig. 2. A nut 24 is internally threaded complementarity to the tapered, threaded portion 20, and formed in the tapered portion 20 is a longitudinal slot 22.

By reason of this arrangement, it will be seen that when the nut 24 is backed off to the right in Figs. 2 and 3, the tubular member 16 is caused to become loose upon the shaft 10, and can be adjusted longitudinally of the shaft to a selected location. In any location to which the tubular member 16 is so adjusted, the nut 24 can be tightened on the tapered portion 20, the slot 22 permitting contraction of the tapered portion about the shaft so as to cause the tubular member to be tightly bound to the shaft for rotation therewith.

A radially expandable support sleeve 26 is fitted upon the tapered end portion 12 of shaft 10. The support sleeve 26 is relatively thick-walled, as shown in Fig. 2, the outer diameter thereof being substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft, though slightly less than the diameter of the collar 18. The support sleeve 26 is formed of soft rubber or other material capable of being expanded radially to increase the outer diameter thereof, and extending axially of support sleeve 26 from end to end thereof is a tapered bore .28 complementing the taper of the end portion 12. of shaft 1G.

Adapted to be fitted upon the support sleeve 26, and coextensive with the support sleeve in length, is a work conditioning sleeve 30. In the illustrated embodiment, a sandpaper sleeve 30 is shown, for use in sanding the edges of shoe soles. However, it will be understood that the sleeve 30 could be some other type of abrasive sleeve. Alternatively, it could be a buffing sleeve, and the surface texture of sleeve 30 could thus be varied according to the material being conditioned, or the particular operation to be performed on said material.

An abutment disc 32 is engaged against the ends of the support sleeve 26 and abrasive sleeve 30 remote from collar 18, and the periphery of the abutment disc 32 defines a flange 34, the diameter of which will be greater than the outer diameter of the support sleeve 26 in the radially expanded condition of the support sleeve.

A recess 36 is formed in the outer surface of disc 32 and is concentric with and communicates with a center opening 38 of the disc, receiving the shank of a screw 40 having left-hand threads to complement the threads of the recess 14. The head 42 of the screw is engaged in the recess 36, hearing against the inner wall of the recess as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In use of the device, the abutment member 16 is ad justed to a selected location along shaft 16, and is bound to the shaft in said location, so as to constitute a stationary abutment engageable by the inner ends of the support sleeve 26 and abrasive sleeve 38 Normally, the bore 28 of the support sleeve 26 is so proportioned as to cause the outer end of the support sleeve to project a slight distance beyond the smaller, outer end of the tapered portion 12 of the shaft as shown in Fig. 3. In these circumstances, the inner ends of the support sleeve 26 and abrasive sleeve 30 are spaced a short distance from the collar 18. This distance has been somewhat exaggerated in Fig. 3 for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the invention.

' With sleeve 36 positioned upon a support sleeve, and screw 40 extended through disc 32, one need merely tighten the screw, to shift it inwardly of the recess 14 from the Fig. 3 to the Fig. 2 position of the screw. a result, disc 32 biases the support sleeve 26 and the abrasive sleeve 36 axially to the right in Fig. 3, and this causes the tapered portion of the mandrel or shaft 10 1 to radially expand the support sleeve 26. Ultimately, the support sleeve is engaged at its opposite ends by the collar 18 and disc 32. In this position of the support sleeve, it will have been radially expanded to such an extent as to fully tension the abrasive sleeve 3% thereabout. The operation further causes the sleeve 36 to be bound to the support sleeve for rotation therewith, and causes the support sleeve to be engaged with the shaft 10 for rotation therewith also.

The device is now ready for use, and can, for example, be used in conditioning the edges of shoe soles in shoe repair operations. Thus, in Fig. 1 there is illustrated by way of example a shoe generally designated 44, including an outsole 46, a midsole 48, a cushioning filler 543, an upper 52, an insole 54, and a welting 56. The welting, midsole, and outsole are to be simultaneously trimmed at their edges, so as to properly trim the sole of the shoe.

Therefore, the sole of the shoe constituted by the welting 56, midsole 4-8, and outsole 46 is positioned against the surface of the abrasive sleeve 36, in engagement with the abutment defined by the flange 34. On rotation of the shaft, the edge of the shoe sole will be properly sanded, with the shoe being manipulated for the purpose of permitting the full length of said edge to be properly trimmed. The surface of the abrasive sleeve, of course, is firm and yields only sufiiciently to prevent excessive wear of the abrasive sleeve, this yielding of the abrasive sleeve being caused by the resilient nature of the soft rubber material of the support sleeve 26.

Due to the provision of the abutment 34, which lies in a plane normal to the axis of rotation of sleeve 30, the shoe sole is maintained in a plane paralleling that of the abutment, so as to insure the accurate trimming or sanding of the edge of the sole.

At such time as the sleeve 30 becomes worn, one may readily remove the same for replacement by a new sleeve 30 merely by removing the screw and disc 32. This permits the rubber sleeve 26 to shift to the Fig. 3 position thereof, in which position it is at its normal or smaller 4 diameter. The sleeve 30 thus becomes loose upon the support sleeve 26, and can be readily removed for replacement by a new sanding sleeve. The parts are then replaced, and the new sleeve 30 is tensioned about the support sleeve by radial expansion of the support sleeve in the manner previously described herein.

In Figs. 7-14, there is shown a modified construction wherein all components are identical to those of the first form, with the exception of the radially expandable sleeve that tensions the sanding sleeve 30.

Instead of the rubber support sleeve 26, in this form there is utilized a support sleeve that includes a rubber sleeve member and a plurality of metal spreader elements embedded therein. The sleeve member 60 is of the same outer diameter and length as the rubber support sleeve of the first form, but is formed with a tapered, end-toend bore 62 slightly greater in diameter at all locations along its length, in the contracted, normal condition of the sleeve member, than the diameter of the tapered end portion of mandrel or shaft 12 taken at corresponding locations.

Angularly spaced about the wall of bore 62 and extending the full length of the bore are metallic spreader elements generally designated at 64. These are in closely spaced relation and are embedded in said wall. The construction of the individual spreader elements is detailed in Figs. 10-13. As shown, each element is increased progressively in width from the outer to the inner ends thereof, while being progressively decreased in thickness in the same direction. The inner longitudinal faces 66 of the elements are transversely concaved, with the faces '66 of the several elements diverging in a direction toward the inner ends of the elements, as best shown in Fig. 7. The side walls 68 of each element lie in planes that are radial of the sleeve member 60, that is, said side walls, when the spreader element is viewed in cross section, converge in a direction toward the inner face 66.

The elements 64 have flat outer longitudinal faces 70 and these extend parallel to the axis of the rubber sleeve member, so that the outer and inner faces 70, 66 respectively converge in a direction toward the inner end of the element.

As shown in Fig. 9, the elements are embedded for only part of their thicknesses in the material of the sleeve member 60, so that their faces 66 are disposed radially inwardly from the wall of the bore 62. Therefore, when the screw 40 is threaded inwardly within bore 14, disc 32 biases the rubber sleeve axially of mandrel 10 and causes the spreader elements to be cammingly biased by the tapered portion 12 of the mandrel radially outwardly, causing the sleeve member 60 to be radially expanded to tension the abrasive sleeve 30. The operation is carried out without contact of the rubber sleeve member with the surface of the shaft, and friction is reduced to a minimum by metal-to-metal contact of the spreader elements and shaft. g

It will also be understood that the sleeve 30, instead of being a sanding sleeve as shown, can be a bufling sleeve, and can be adapted for trimming various types of workpieces, as for example sole combinations of leather, paper, plastic, cushion crepe, cork, etc. One might, in fact, provide different kinds of abrasive surfaces on a single sleeve 30, so that different laminations of the sole can all be properly conditioned by different types of abrasive surfaces, all at one and the same time.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent I j r r piece, a rotary shaft having a'tapered portion, afirst abutment on the shaft, a support sleeve having a tapered bore complementing the taper of said portion of the shaft and adapted for expansion in a radial direction responsive to adjustment of said support sleeve axially of the shaft in one direction, a work-surface-conditioning sleeve removably circumposed about the support sleeve so as to be tensioned thereabout responsive to said radial expansion of the support sleeve, and means including a second abutment for shifting the support sleeve in said axial direction, the first abutment being mounted on the shaft for adjustment axially of the shaft said first abutment comprising a tubular member receiving and slidably mounted upon the shaft, said tubular member having a tapered, longitudinally split, externally threaded end portion, said first abutment further including a nut threaded upon said tapered, threaded portion of the tubular member to contract the same into frictional engagement with the shaft in selected positions to which the tubular member is adjusted, the tubular member including a circumferentially extending collar to provide a surface against which the work may be positioned when engaged against the surface-conditioning sleeve.

2. In a device for conditioning the surface of a workpiece, a rotary shaft having a tapered portion, a first abutment on the shaft, a support sleeve having a tapered bore complementing the taper of said portion of the shaft and adapted for expansion in a radial direction responsive to adjustment of said support sleeve axially of the shaft in one direction, a work-surface-conditioning sleeve removably circumposed about the support sleeve so as to be tensioned thereabout responsive to said radial expansion of the support sleeve, and means including a second abutment for shifting the support sleeve in said axial direction, the support sleeve being extended between the first and second abutments, said last-named means including a screw and a disc, the tapered shaft portion having a threaded recess receiving said screw, the disc being centrally apertured to receive the screw and shiftable with the screw on threading of the screw inwardly and outwardly of the recess, said disc abutting the support sleeve to move the same in an axial direction responsive to threadable adjustment of the screw Within the recess.

3. In a device for conditioning the surface of a workpiece, a rotary shaft having a tapered portion, a first abutment on the shaft, a support sleeve having a tapered bore complementing the taper of said portion of the shaft and adapted for expansion in a radial direction responsive to adjustment of said support sleeve axially of the shaft in one direction, a work-surface-conditioning sleeve removably circumposed about the support sleeve, and means including a second abutment for shifting the support sleeve in said axial direction, the support sleeve being extended between the first and second abutments, said last-named means including a screw and a disc, the tapered shaft portion having a threaded recess receiving said screw, the disc being centrally apertured to receive the screw and shiftable with the screw on threading of the screw inwardly and outwardly of the recess, said disc abutting the support sleeve to move the same in an axial direction responsive to threadable adjustment of the screw within the recess, the support sleeve including a sleeve member of soft rubber material having a tapered bore, and a series of spreader elements angularly spaced about and embedded in the wall of the bore so as to slidably contact the tapered portion of the shaft and be biased radially outwardly thereby to expand the sleeve member.

4. In a device for conditioning the surface of a workpiece, a rotary shaft having a tapered portion, a first abutment on the shaft, a support sleeve having a tapered bore complementing the taper of said portion of the shaft and adapted for expansion in a radial direction responsive to adjustment of said support sleeve axially of the shaft in one direction, a work-surface-conditioning sleeve removably circumposed about the support sleeve, and means including a second abutment for shifting the support sleeve in said axial direction, the support sleeve being extended between the first and second abutments, said last-named means including a screw and a disc, the tapered shaft portion having a threaded recess receiving said screw, the disc being centrally apertured to receive the screw and shiftable with the screw on threading of the screw inwardly and outwardly of the recess,'said disc abutting the support sleeve to move the same in an axial direction responsive to threadable adjustment of the screw within the recess, the support sleeve including a sleeve member of soft rubber material having a tapered bore, and a series of spreader elements angularly spaced about and embedded in the wall of the bore so as to slidably contact the tapered portion of the shaft and be biased radially outwardly thereby to expand the sleeve member, the wall of the bore of the sleeve member being spaced out of contact with said tapered portion by the spreader elements in all positions to which the support sleeve is axially adjusted, each spreader element having a transversely concaved inner longitudinal face contacting said tapered portion.

5. In a device for conditioning the surface of a workpiece, a rotary shaft having a tapered portion, a first abutment on the shaft, a support sleeve having a tapered bore complementing the taper of said portion of the shaft and adapted for expansion in a radial direction responsive to adjustment of said support sleeve axially of the shaft in one direction, a work-surface-conditioning sleeve removably circumposed about the support sleeve, and means including a second abutment for shifting the support sleeve in said axial direction, the support sleeve being extended between the first and second abutments, said last-named means including a screw and a disc, the tapered shaft portion having a threaded recess receiving said screw, the disc being centrally apertured to receive the screw and shiftable with the screw on threading of the screw inwardly and outwardly of the recess, said disc abutting the support sleeve to move the same in an axial direction responsive to threadable adjustment of the screw within the recess, the support sleeve including a sleeve member of soft rubber material having a tapered bore, and a series of spreader elements angularly spaced about and embedded in the wall of the bore so as to slidably contact the tapered portion of the shaft and be biased radially outwardly thereby to expand the sleeve member, each spreader element having a transversely concaved inner longitudinal face contacting said tapered portion, and an outer longitudinal face paralleling the axis of rotation of the sleeve member and tapered portion, each spreader element having side walls converging toward the inner face when the element is viewed in cross section, each element being progressively increased in width and decreased in thickness in a direction from the second to the first abutments.

6. In a device for conditioning the surface of a workpiece, a rotary shaft having a tapered portion, a flanged abutment on the shaft, a support sleeve having a tapered bore complementing the taper of said portion of the shaft and being adapted for expansion in a radial direction responsive to adjustment of said support sleeve axially of the shaft in one direction, a Work-surface-conditioning sleeve removably circumposed about the support sleeve so as to be tensioned thereabout responsive to said radial expan sion of the support sleeve, means including a disc abutment for shifting the support sleeve in said axial direction, the support sleeve being extended between the flanged abutment and the disc abutment, said abutments being extended outwardly beyond the surface-conditioning sleeve for selective use of the abutments in positioning a workpiece against the surface-conditioning sleeve, means at one end of the shaft for connecting the shaft to a motor shaft or the like, and an elongated revolvable tubular .7 8 handle fastened at one end to the disc abutment and 189,483 McNair Apr. 10, 1877 forming an elongation of the tool, the surface of said 720,009 Duplessis Feb. 10, 1903 surface-conditioning sleeve being adapted for free bufiing 1,208,501 Crocker Dec. 12, 1916 for dental work and the like. 1,387,627 Terry Aug. 16, 1921 5 1,725,002 Jenkins Aug. 20, 1929 References Cited in the file of this patent 1,9 5,707 Levoy July 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,021,442 Capomacchio et al Nov. 19, 1935 154,756 Howe Sept. 8, 1874 2,221,173 Glllsell V- 12, 940 

